Read John 18:12-24

"Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him, and led Him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year…." John 18:12-13

After Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was taken to the home of the high priests and first to Annas, who had been high priest but was deposed by the Romans. Before Annas, Jesus was questioned regarding His disciples and His teaching and then sent to Caiaphas, the current high priest and a son-in-law to Annas.

Before Caiaphas and the Jewish council (Matthew 26:57-68), witnesses were sought against Jesus that they might have grounds to condemn Him. When they could not find two or three witnesses whose testimony agreed, Caiaphas placed Jesus under oath, saying, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God" (Matthew 26:63). Jesus answered, "Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matthew 26:64; cf. Daniel 7:13-14). The high priest then tore his clothes and said Jesus had committed blasphemy because He was claiming to be the Messiah and God Himself. The Jewish Council said that Jesus was guilty of death and then mocked Jesus and abused Him.

In the morning, because it was not legitimate for them to conduct a trial and convict a person at night, the Jewish Council again met to officially try Jesus and find Him guilty of death (Matthew 27:1; Luke 22:66-71). Again Jesus was asked if He was the Christ, the Son of God. When Jesus told them that He was, they found Him guilty and led Him off to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, to attain the death penalty for Jesus, since they themselves were not permitted by the Romans to put any man to death.

Why was Jesus so hated of the Jewish rulers, and why was He condemned for telling and teaching the truth about Himself and the sinful world in which He lived? Because the truth hurt--it revealed their sinfulness and the shortcomings of their religious system! Who wants to hear that they are sinners who need to repent? Who wants to hear that good works, sacrifices, and the observances of certain religious rites won't make them right with God or save them? Who wants to hear that apart from saving faith in Jesus, God's own Son, and His shed blood upon the cross for the sins of the world, there is no forgiveness, no salvation, no true religion, and no hope? Even today, religious rulers and religious people don't like to hear these things; but it is true! If you hold to your own righteousness and your own religious works, you will join in condemning the Jesus Christ of the Bible. If you believe the truth and acknowledge that it was because of your sins that Jesus died--if you trust in Christ Jesus, God's own dear Son, as your Savior--you will have life in His name!

Dear Jesus, Son of God and our Savior, grant that we not reject and condemn You for speaking the truth about our sins or about You and Your redemptive work. Through the Scriptures, reveal to us our utter sinfulness before God and graciously grant us faith to trust in You and Your blood shed for us upon the cross. Amen.

Devotions